- quality wooden model WWI and WWII airplanes -
- quality wooden model WWI and WWII airplanes -
Kawasaki Ki-48 'Lily' - Japan
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Scale 1:36 Length 13.75" Wingspan 18.75"
Photography by Action Asia Photo |
The Ki-48 was designed out of Japan's wish to have a light bomber as effective as the Russian-built Tupolev SB-2 that they were encountering early in the Sino-Japanese War of 1937. Kawasaki Aircraft was issued the specifications which called for a twin-engined light bomber built to operate under the extreme winter conditions prevailing in Manchuria and North China. Production of the relatively fast and very maneuverable Ki-48-I commenced in 1939 and the trim aircraft soon found favor with pilots. When the Pacific War began, the Ki-48 was the most important Japanese Army Air Force light bomber outside the Chinese front and was successfully deployed in Burma, Malaya and the Philippines before being transferred to the Dutch East Indies, and later, to New Guinea. However, when it started meeting more modern Allied fighters, the "Lily" (as the Allies had code named it) fared badly because it was too slow to avoid interceptors, had little defensive armament and lacked any form of crew or fuel-tank protection. To limit combat losses, the light bomber was used for night attacks whenever possible - which further reduced its effectiveness. An improved model of the Lily - the Ki-48 II - was brought to production using improved engines and having partial armor protection for the crew, fuel tanks and ammunition boxes. Capable of carrying a larger bomb load and faster than its predecessor, the Ki-48-II was a dive bomber fitted with retractable dive brakes under the outer wings. However, the improving Allied fighters still found it to be "easy meat" mostly because its defensive armament was woefully inadequate. Although its production ended in October 1944 with 1,977 examples built, the Lily remained in service because - by then - Japan was losing the war, and was in dire need of anything that could fly - particularly for kamikaze attacks. Crew:
Four
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